Summary

A 37-year-old woman of Tanzanian origin presented with symptoms of cholecystitis, sepsis and oral candidiasis. Subsequent investigation found listeriosis and HIV infection. Effective use of the appropriate antibiotics and surgical management to remove the source of sepsis lead to a good recovery from the acute illness. The patient was subsequently transferred to a tertiary centre for specialist care of her underlying chronic condition of HIV/AIDS. Her case demonstrates a previously unreported association of HIV, Listeria and cholecystitis.